Almond Snowball Cookies

We are in the deep of winter as I write this. The thermometer has averaged below zero for well over a month. Snow, who knows how deep now, covers the entire lawn.

Rolling cookies in icing sugar

Some mornings you can wake up to a winter wonderland with trees, bushes, cars, sidewalks and roads covered in sparkling white. And you may even have the (questionable) benefit of having a “snow day” off from school.

These cookies remind me of the joy and fun we can have when there is a “snow day” that allows you to break from your regular routine and go outside and play with your kids. Why? Well, they actually look like little, tiny snowballs, but they taste much better!

So, if you are lucky enough to have a snow day, perhaps you can make these with your kids and keep them occupied for at least one hour. But, you may have to save these to enjoy at home, and not at school, since they contain almonds. They freeze well if you find that you don’t want to eat them all at once.

Almond Snowball Cookies

2017-01-14 11:00:00

Yields 3

A delicious shortbread-like cookie made with ground almonds and dusted with icing sugar.

In a small bowl, mix flour with almonds and salt (optional) until evenly combined.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter with icing sugar until smooth.

Beat in vanilla.

On low speed, or using a wooden spoon, beat flour mix into butter mixture, adding ⅓ of the flour at a time.

Roll dough into 1" balls and place on baking sheet at least 1" apart.

Bake at 350F until puffed and golden on the bottom when lifted - approximately 10-14 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Roll warm cookies in icing sugar until evenly coated and return to rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Pre-ground almonds can be found in the bulk section of some stores. If you can't find any, you can use a food processor to grind your own skinless almonds. (One time I even used a spice grinder.)

Chocolate variation: Almond Snowball Chocolate Surprise - Place 2 chocolate chips or a chocolate chunk into the centre of the cookie before rolling and placing on cookie sheet.

SweetieTreats http://sweetietreats.ca/

In the recipe I also mention that you can make a variation of these cookies by adding a couple of chocolate chips or a chunk of chocolate to the centre and then rolling the cookies up as usual. This often results in a slightly larger cookie, and therefore it adds a little bit to the time it may take to bake. (Just make sure that the bottom is slightly golden brown and they will be great!) If you’re a chocoholic, this would be the version to work with, but don’t write off the plain version, either.

I hope you enjoy these fun little bites of “winter” with your family and friends. Let me know what you put in the centre and how it turns out in the comments below…